Trial on for Texas man accused of starving kids

He said the bathroom, which had no windows, had an overwhelming smell of feces. There were two blankets in a corner, Detective Gerald Baum said.

The children's clothes were stuffed below the sink and smelled of mildew, he said.

"Everything was wet, heavily soiled and the smell was overwhelming," Baum said.

A woman who worked at the Budget Suites testified that when the couple checked in they only said that two adults and a baby would be there. She never saw the other children, but before the couple arrived, she said Abneris Santiago had inquired about getting a two-bedroom so her kids could be with her.

The trial of the children's mother, Abneris Santiago, is scheduled to start after the conclusion of Alfred Santiago's trial. She will be tried on one charge of injury to a child and two more injury to a child charges are pending. She also faces up to life in prison.

Abner Santiago testified that before going to the hotel, he and his wife met his sister at the restaurant where she worked. He said she didn't indicate that anything was amiss with the children, telling him that the school-age children were doing well and making good grades.

He said his demeanor toward his sister cooled once he saw the condition of the children.

Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said that Abneris Santiago's mother was granted custody of all four of her daughter's children earlier this month. The girl is now 12, her brothers 11 and 6 and the youngest child is 2.